Interlocking guide for panel awnings



June 23, 1959 ;F NELSON 2,891,616

INTERLQCKING GUIDE FOR PANEL AWNINGS Filed Feb. 23, 1954 2 Sheets Shet 1 2 '3 l6 8 |3 FIG.| I0 1 61 4 23 5 9 7 l4 2 v 23 I7 INVENTOR. FREDERICK E. NELSON HIS ATTORNEY F. E. NELSON INTERLOCKING GUIDE FOR PANEL AWNINGS June 23, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 23, 195? INVENTOR. FREDERICK E. NELSON HIS ATTORNEY INTERLOCKING GUIDE FOR PANEL AWNINGS Frederick E. Nelson, Greentree, Pa.

Application February 23, 1954, Serial No. 411,943

9 Claims. (Cl. 160-222) This invention relates generally to awnings and more particularly to interlocking guide between adjacent panels of a collapsible awning.

Collapsible metal awnings are ordinarily provided with side panels usually hinged to the common point for independently supporting the panel sections which have stops to engage adjacent panel sections to determine the limit of their extension and their retraction when collapsed in telescopic relation. When the horizontal sections of awnings of this character are required to be longer than four feet, there is no means to interconnect the adjacent panels intermediate of their ends and they are apt to sag and scrape one another when being let down or drawn up and engage each other and rattle in;

any side panels and which will retain the panels in uniform suspended relation when operated or positioned at any extension.

ited States Patet Patented June 23, 1959 Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the use of a bracket to support the inner end of the guide.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing a guide extending from the front edge of the panel and supported adjacent the rear edge by a bracket.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing a bracket for supporting both ends of the guide.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of an awning in its extended position and having no side panels.

Fig. 6 is a view in side elevation of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 showing an awning in its retracted position.

Fig. 8 is a view of a long awning having side panels and provided with interconnecting guides.

Fig. 9 is a view in side elevation showing the panel structure of Fig. 1 employed as a drop curtain. v

Fig. 10 is an enlarged perspective view of the rope guide.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings, the awning or drop curtain is made up of a series of panel members 1, each of which, as shown, is constructed of a light material such as a metal or plastic, and is shaped to provide a particular configuration that lends strength as well as utility to the panel member. The panel members as shown are provided with an outer edge 2 having an inturned flange 3 and an outer face 4 which is connected with the flat section 5 at right angles to the face 4. The

rear edge 6 is provided with a short face 7 having a short inturned flange 8 and a fiat section 9 at right angles to the face 7. The sections 5 and 9 are connected by an arcuate section 10 which adds strength to the panel when gauge so that in the length of approximately eight inches,

it will not fiex materially. The rod 11 is bent at the front edge into the right angle 12 and its end'is headed Another object of this invention is an interconnecting,

guide for joining adjacent panels in an awning which provides a runner that prevents the engagement between the surfaces of adjacent panel members and thereby avoids marring or disfiguring of the panel surfaces.

Another object is the provision of an interconnecting guide for adjacent panels for collapsible awnings thatprovides a limiting stop for the extension of the panel members.

The panels making up a collapsible awning to employ the interconnecting guide for slidably attaching adjacent panels which comprise this invention, may be constructed of sheet metal, plastic or wood. The most popular panels employed today are constructed of aluminum and are ordinarily given a cross sectional configuration that provides for strength in the panel permitting the use of light gauge material. Regardless of what material is employed to form the panel, the guides will function in the same manner to interconnect'adjacent panels and guide them in their movement from the extended to the retracted positions of the awning.

Other objects and advantages appear hereinafter in the following description and claims.

The accompanying drawings show for the purpose of exemplification without limiting the invention or claims thereto, certain practical embodiments illustrating the principles of this invention wherein:

Fig. 1 is a sectional view showing a series of panels in guides comprising this invention.

as indicated at 13, the rod passing through a hole 14 in the panel 1 adjacent the outer edge 2. The length of the rod between the head 13 and the bend 12 is preferably slightly greater than half the depth of the inner face 7.

The inner end of the rod 11 is bent at right angles as indicated at 15 and the end thereof is headed as indicated at 16 after it has been passed through the hole 17 in the section 9 of the panel adjacent the inner edge 6. The length of the rod between the head 16 and the bend 15 is the same as that of the outer end of the rod between the head 13 and the bend 14. The head 16 is formed after the rod has been threaded through the hole 14 adjacent the outer edge 2, then through the hole 17 adjacent the inner edge 6.

The next subsequent panel, as indicated at 18, has a hole 20 in its inner face 7 through which the rod 11 must be threaded before being inserted through the hole 17. By reason of the rod 11 passing through the hole 20 in the inner flange of the next adjacent'panel, the two panel members become interconnected with each other and the sliding of the panel 18 outwardly onto the left of Fig. l permitsthe inner edge to slide along the rod until its inturned flange 8 engages the rod 11 above the bend 12, which would represent the full extension of the panel member 18 relative to the panel member 1.

The next succeeding panel 21 is constructed in exactly I the same manner to be guided by the rod 22 that is fastened to the panel 18 in the same manner that the' rod 11 is fastened to the panel 1. If desired, a small ear 23 may be placed on the rod sections on the other side of the panel from their heads 13 and L6 to prevent any movement of the rod relative to the panel. However, there is no harm done in permitting the rod to have some movement relative to the panel to which it is attached.

In the structure as shown in Fig. 2 the panel, which is provided with a bracket 24, is secured adjacent the rear edge 6 by means of the spaced rivets 25. The bracke Z4 is provided with a depending leg 26 having an opening 27 to receive the straight end of the rod The front end of the rod 23, being provided with a head 13 and the bend 12 does not have the ear 23. Since the head 13 holds the outer end of the rod 12 relative to the panel 1, the inner end of the rod 28 may extend through the opening 27 of the bracket 24 without any fastening. Before threading the rod 23 through the hole 27, it must be threaded through the opening of the inner edge 6 of the second panel 18 in the same manner as that previously described.

Referring specifically to the structure in Fig. 3, it will be noted that the inner end of the rod 30 is supported by the bracket 24 in the same manner as that described with reference to Fig. 2. However, the outer end of the rod 36 is provided with the bend 12 and then a second bend 31 permitting the rod to extend through an opening 32 in the face 4, and then provided with a head 33. This brings the interconnecting guide rod to a position in front of the front edge of the panel 1 and thus provides a runner that may be employed to engage the inturned flange of the next succeeding panel as the distance between the bend 31 and the bend 12 is as deep as the face 4 of the front edge 2. If it is not as deep as the face 4 the inturned flanges 3 will be permitted to engage the face 4 of the preceding panel. Otherwise the structures are quite similar.

Referring now to the structure as shown in Fig. 4, the rod 34 is supported by the bracket 24 at its inner end and by the bracket 35 at its outer end, the bracket 35 being secured to the outer face 4 of the outer edge 2 by means of the rivets 36. The rod 34 is headed as indicated at 37 at both ends, which prevents it from sliding out of the brackets 24 and 35.

As shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the awning is made of a series of panel sections indicated at 1, 13, 2f, 50, 51, 52 and 53, each of these panel sections being a duplicate of each other and constructed in the manner as indicated in Fig. 1. A rod member 54 is also hinged to the wall surface at 55 at either end of the outermost panel 53. A pair of operating ropes 56 is connected to the ends of the rod members 54 and drawn through the eyes 57 under the panel 1 and downwardly to a wall cleat. Thus the rope member 56 provides support for the awning structure as it is shown extended in Figs. 5 and 6. When the rope members 56 are drawn, the outer panel section 53 is retracted sliding under the panel member 52 until the inturned flange 3 engages the face 4 of the next succeeding panel section and until all the panel sections are retracted to the telescopic position as indicated in Fig. 7. The awning of this character is quite beneficial as it does not restrict the light from coming through the sides of the awning, and the elimination of the sides of the awning is made possible by means of these interconnecting guide members between the adjacent panel sections. A flashing member 58 is attached to the house or structure to which the awning is secured and it prevents the elements from passing down in back of the uppermost panel section Ti and also provides for a cover ing and support for the inner edge of the upper panel member 1 which is attached thereto by any suitable means.

Referring now to Fig. 8, it will be shown that an awning structure of considerable length that is provided with side panel members as indicated at 60 would have difliculty in properly suspending the intermediate portions thereof if it were not for the interconnecting guide means as shown at 62. These guide means are also similar to that shown at if in Fig. 1 and they serve to support the intermediate portions of the horizontal sections of the panel members 63 of the awning. They also function in conjunction with the inturned flanges 8 to produce a stop for the panel sections in their extended position as shown in Fig. 8. The horizontal sections 63 of the awning shown in Fig. 8 are similar in cross section to that of the panels illustrated in the preceding figures.

Referring now to Fig. 9 the drop curtain 54 is made up of a series of panel members such as indicated at 10, 18 and 21 in Fig. l and are connected by the guide rods such as ill and 22 to maintain the panels in aligned relation when guided relative to each other. In Fig. 9 the flashing member is replaced by the hinges 65, one side of which is secured to the inside of the house frame 66 which may be a part of a porch roof. The same rope members 56 are looped through the eyes 57 and tied to the cleat 59 as in the other figures. The eye 57 may be made of glass or plastic and can be secured to the house by the bifurcated link 67 as shown in Fig. 10.

I claim:

1. An interconnecting guide between adjacent collapsible panels of an awning consisting of a series of panels each having both longitudinal edges bent upwardly to provide front and back marginal flanges forming an upwardly open trough, a rod track means attached to and disposed in spaced relation transversely across the under side of each upwardly open trough panel except the last and lowermost trough panel of the series, means defining an opening in the upwardly extending back marginal flange of each next adjacent panel to receive said rod track means, said opening being located on said flange to prevent any other part of the trough panel from having any sliding contact with an adjacent trough panel or rod, to guide said panels in spaced relation for movement relative to each other.

2. An interconnecting guide between adjacent collapsible panels of an awning consisting of a series of panels each having both longitudinal edges bent upwardly to provide front and back marginal flanges forming an upwardly open trough, an inturned flange along the edge of each marginal flange, a rod track means attached to and disposed in spaced relation transversely across the under side of each upwardly open trough panel except the last and lowermost trough panel of the series, means defining an opening in the upwardly extending back marginal flange of each next adjacent panel to receive said rod track means, said opening being located on said flange to prevent any other part of the trough panel from having any sliding contact with an adjacent trough panel or rod to guide said panels in spaced relation for movement relative to each other, said opposite inturned flanges providing stops between adjacent trough panels when said awning is collapsed and extended.

3. The structure of claim 1 characterized in that said rod track means provides a bend in the front of the rod forming a stop means to be engaged by the back marginal flange of said next adjacent panel to limit the extension of the next adjacent panel relative to the preceding panel.

4. The structure of claim 1 characterized in that the said upwardly extending front marginal flange of said next adjacent panel provides a stop means when engaging the preceding panel to limit the extent of the collapsing position of the panels relative to each other.

5. The structure of claim 1 characterized in that said rod track means has one end secured to the panel adjacent its outer flange and having its other end secured adjacent the inner flange of the panel.

6. The structure of claim 1 characterized in that said rod track means has both ends bent at right angles to the intermediate position of the rod with the ends secured to the panel.

7. The structure of claim 1 characterized in that said rod track means has one end bent at a right angle to the intermediate portion of the rod and secured adjacent the bend of the outer marginal flange of the panel, and a bracket secured to the panel and depending therefrom adjacent the inner flange and having an opening therein to receive the other end of the rod track means to hold the inner flange of the next adjacent panel in spaced relation from the under surface of the preceding panel.

8. The structure of claim 1 characterized in that said rod track means has one end bent U shape and secured to the outer flange of the panel, and a bracket secured to the panel and depending therefrom adjacent the innor flange and having an opening therein to receive the other end of the rod n'ack means.

9. The structure of claim 1 which also includes depending brackets secured to the panel adjacent the outer and inner flanges, said brackets having aligned openings therein to receive and support the rod track means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 370,259 Horbaczewski Sept. 20, 1887 2,531,797 Wellman Nov. 28, 1950 2,542,919 Freeman Feb. 20, 1951 2,563,547 Paddock et a1. Aug. 7, 1951 2,581,827 Zveibil Jan. 8, 1952 2,612,219 Nelson Sept. 30, 1952 2,739,356 Aldridge et a1. Mar. 27, 1956 

